Clinical inquiries from the Family Practice Inquiries Network.

A literature review revealed only 1 small case-control study. The goal of this study was to identify possible risk factors for developing UTIs among young, healthy women who presented to the University of California at Los Angeles student health center. A total of 225 women were enrolled in the study. Exclusion criteria included pregnancy, diabetes, vaginitis, can-didiasis, a history of more than 1 prior UTI, hospitalization, or catheterization 4 weeks before study enrollment. The women were surveyed regarding their dietary habits, clothing, sexual and urinary habits, and birth control methods used. From mid-stream urine samples, the authors identified 44 cases of UTI and 181 controls presenting to the health center without urinary symptoms or a history of UTI. A UTI was defined as the presence of more than 50,000 colony forming units of a single species of bacteria per milliliter of urine and the report of 1 or more of the following symptoms: painful urination, frequent urination, urination at night, and urgent need to urinate, or blood in the urine. A primary UTI case was further defined as a not having had a prior history of UTI; a secondary UTI case was defined as a patient who reported 1 prior UTI.